Strictly business purposes
by thedemonwithatypewriter
Summary: In the background Crowley and Aziraphale met on the tops of buses, and in art galleries, and at concerts, compared notes, and smiled.
1. Chapter 1

blockquote  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"emspan lang="EN-AU"In the background Crowley and Aziraphale met on the tops of buses, and in art galleries, and at concerts, compared notes, and smiled./span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" /p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"The bus was a vivid, bright red, covered in city smog and scattered stains. It wasn't blood red, instead, a garish shade that hurt Crowley's eyes and whispered in his ear of London. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"The smell of pollution and people and emcity /emwafted drunkenly through the air, circling around and occasionally drifted past the lone figure atop a bus./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley muttered irritably at the phantom wind that fluttered through his hair, running a hand through the dark strands, attempting to fix it. After a few attempts, he resigned to having messy hair, and checked his watch./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale was late. He always was. Virtue was ever vigilant, but this specific part of it wasn't particularly punctual./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Since the Antichrist had been born, the rules of the Arrangement had been a little skewed. It had once been merely a business event, an organisation of convenience, but now, it was...different, perhaps./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"But then again, it could have just been Crowley. Aziraphale was an angel, after all, and Heaven was harsher on rules then it let on./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley checked his watch again, sighing. The bus was about to leave, and even though they weren't going anywhere, it took quite a lot of effort to stop it from leaving./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Just as he was about to bless Aziraphale and mutter for him to hurry up, there was a sudden breath of air next to him, and inexplicably, the angel was beside him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Are you supposed to do that?" Crowley asked amusedly. The angel looked slightly guilty./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""I have permission, from..." He started to attempt, before shaking his head. Crowley smirked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""No." Aziraphale admitted. The bus started to move, the sound of the engine growing louder in their ears. He pulled out a little notepad, and opened it to a page full of neat writing. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Let's start." He said. Crowley blinked distractedly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Uh, notes, yeah." He muttered. He didn't have a notebook, and didn't need one. Because, really, he wasn't there for the notes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Well, he seems to be a normal child, so far." Aziraphale observed. "I've been trying to tell him some stories from the Bible."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley winced. "Don't you think he should have done something a little more, by now? He just kind of...sits there."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale looked affronted. "Of course not! He's just a little child, dear. Give him a few more years."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"The demon looked bored. "emYears? /emIs this what parenthood is like?" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""I'd expect so, yes." After a second of silence, he added: "We're not his parents, though."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley blushed. "No, of course not. I didn't mean..."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale smiled, and Crowley fell silent. The sound of the bus filled the silence, with its long droning./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Do you have any observations?" The angel enquired. Crowley shook his head./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Notes are rather boring, I admit." Said Aziraphale. "The child won't be doing anything interesting for a while yet. "/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Let's do something different." Crowley tempted, eyes starting to glitter from behind his sunglasses. emThis /emwas more like it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Like what?" The angel asked hesitantly, cautiously. Crowley shrugged, trying to be nonchalant./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Whatever you want." He said, and Aziraphale decided that perhaps, that would be okay, just this once./span/p  
/blockquote 


	2. Art gallery

p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"span lang="EN-AU"This time, it was Crowley who was late./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"It wasn't like him to be; usually he regarded deadlines with a sharp eye and too many glances at his watch, but he also had to maintain his supposedly cool attitude. Whenever he was actually late for something, he used that as an excuse./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Or the traffic. That was a good one too./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"He didn't need to pretend it was the traffic today; the line of cars stretching into the horizon in front of him was proof enough. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley tapped his fingers against the wheel, adjusting his sunglasses in the rear-view mirror. This was getting tedious. Sure, he did try to cause a bit of traffic related trouble here and there, but it was a whole new story when emhe /emwas the one waiting in line. Now, as he heard the honking of horns and sharp yells like faint glimpses of Hell, he could see why it annoyed people so much./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Oh, bugger it." He said to himself, snapping a finger and appearing outside the art gallery where he and Aziraphale had proposed to meet. Twenty minutes ago, sure, but he entered nonetheless./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"The angel was there already, having a very animated discussion with a security guard. Crowley's eyes narrowed from beneath his shades, and channelling his flash facade, he walked up to them./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Oh, there you are, Crowley! I was beginning to wonder where you were off to. This is-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Aziraphale, didn't we plan to emmeet now?/em" He said, trying to make it painfully obvious that he wanted the security guard to leave. Aziraphale, oblivious, replied: "Yes, I do believe so, Crowley. I guess we are late."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley smiled in satisfaction, and the security guard shot him a knowing look./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""It was nice talking to you." Aziraphale said, then turned to Crowley as they walked down the halls full of tourists./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""That was rather rude, dear."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Yeah, well..." Crowley began, trying to justify himself. "Yeah, it was."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale nodded righteously, straightening up a little. Then a thought struck him, and his brow furrowed in pondering./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Are art galleries yours or ours?" He questioned. He'd never really thought about that until now./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley shrugged. "Depends which artist you're talking about."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""emSurely/em they must be ours." The angel persisted. Crowley sighed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Not everything good is yours, you know. Do you want to be stuck watching the Sound of Music for the rest of your life?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale looked slightly annoyed. "Yes, but, I really do think they're ours. I mean, art galleries are wonderful places of reverence and beauty."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"The demon merely smirked. "You sure about that?" He said, as they passed a particularly crude painting of a naked man./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Okay, perhaps not, then." Aziraphale muttered. "What are your notes, anyway?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Erm..." Crowley mumbled, suddenly aware of the fact that he hadn't been taking any notes. "He seems...very confused, about whether or not he should be good or evil." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"He contemplated for a second, then added: "Do you think we should tone it down, a little?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale considered. "Perhaps." He said, in the tone of one who is pretending to consider an idea, but would never use it. "Anything else?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""He's very normal, so far." Crowley mused. "I mean, he's still developing. I imagine he'll start using his powers soon."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Is that it?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Yeah, pretty much." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Aziraphale stared at his notebook, thoughtfully skimming across the pages. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""He likes toy cars." He said, after a while. Crowley repressed a laugh./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""emToy cars/em?" The demon laughed, slightly exasperatedly. "Fancy that, the Antichrist playing with little toy cars!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"To himself, he muttered: "The boss is going to have my head for that." Seeing the look on Aziraphale's face, he chuckled slightly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""Not emreally,/em angel." He replied amusedly. Aziraphale looked defensive./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""How was I supposed to know? I don't know what your boss is like."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"Crowley shrugged. "He's not all that bad, once you get used to him. So long as you don't get on his bad side." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"They both paused. "Any more notes?" Crowley offered. Aziraphale shook his head./span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""He seems a perfectly healthy young boy." The angel quipped. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU"As Aziraphale passes another rude painting, he smiled, and said: "You know, I think that you're probably right about art galleries."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"span lang="EN-AU""That damn Michelangelo." Crowley said, and they both laughed./span/p 


End file.
